This blog will help you understand the 7 primary reasons why training, learning & development sessions are ineffective, particularly in virtual or hybrid delivery. It will also help you in understanding what you can do right now to address them.
Why So Many L&D Sessions Fall Short
Before outlining the seven concerns, it’s helpful to grasp some background information. Several studies have found that even when companies invest extensively in training programs, most of what is taught in the programs is not applied & learners forget much of what they learn.
According to this article, just 12% of employees apply new abilities acquired through training to their jobs, whereas other reports reveal that employees frequently say that training content is generic, not relevant to their role, or that sessions are too long to retain knowledge.
According to an edX survey, most of the employees expect their employer to provide training for growing abilities, yet some of them are satisfied with present L&D offerings. In many cases, training hours or funds may be increasing, but effect measurement & business alignment are far behind. These should inspire organisations to strive for effective learning rather than just good enough one.
These disparities exist in both large & small enterprises, as well as across different sectors. So, whether you operate in technology, retail, health care or services and whether you use an LMS, virtual events, instructor-led training or blended learning, if the learning is not adequately designed, aligned, reinforced & monitored, employee progress stagnates and business growth slows.
Quick Signals Your L&D Sessions Are Not Working

Here are several quick indications or red flags to look out for & if you observe any of these in your business, you are most certainly suffering from one or more of the seven concerns listed below-
- After a training, employees performance or productivity does not improve or they don’t use the newly acquired skills on the job
- Participants zone out, abandon sessions, & there is little chat, polling or live involvement during the sessions
- The training completion rate is great, but retention measured one week later is extremely low
- Managers do not provide post-training follow-up, coaching or reinforcement
- Training content is broad & unrelated to the responsibilities or demands of learners
- Metrics are limited to satisfaction surveys or quiz scores, which have little relevance to company objectives
- Technology or logistics challenges can distract or frustrate the learner
Keep an eye out for these issues because resolving them early on will assist with many of the difficulties that will be listed in this blog.
The 7 Learning & Development Issues You Must Address Today
Now that we’ve understood the red flags to look out for, let’s get into the 7 major learning and development issues that companies face commonly-
1. Misalignment with Business Objectives & Clear Goals
Training sessions that are not aligned with corporate objectives frequently squander time, effort & resources. When L&D programs focus solely on content delivery rather than results, individuals may gain new information, but business performance will not increase. As a result, this creates a disconnect i.e. the training exists solely as a checkbox activity, rather than as part of the organization’s strategic growth or performance goals.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- There are no measurable objectives or goals for the session like enhancing customer satisfaction, lowering error rates or raising revenue
- Stakeholders i.e. leaders & managers are unable to describe how this session promotes corporate growth or addresses a problem
- Learners ask, “Why am I doing this?” or add, “this content has nothing to do with my day-to-day work”
- After training, there is no change in business metrics; only surveys or acclaim.
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Begin with a requirements analysis i.e. interview leaders, managers & employees to better understand business issues, skill shortages & goals
- Define explicit objectives for each session or program like what specific behaviors should change, what performance indicators should improve & within what time range
- Create learning routes or development strategies that correspond to business goals like if the goal is faster customer response, training should teach specialized customer communication skills or tools
- Use operational data & baselines i.e. measure present performance, set a target and then measure again after training to see the progress of the employees
- For virtual sessions or online employee training, before the event, have a short alignment workshop with leaders & learners to agree on objectives & use the platform’s capabilities like polls, conversations to gather feedback and tailor content to real-world needs
2. Poor Engagement, One-Way Delivery & Monotony
People or learners are unlikely to pay attention when learning is passive, protracted or not interactive as knowledge is easily lost & development stalls. Monotony, slides-only approaches & lectures with little interaction, particularly in virtual or hybrid training, result in low recall & knowledge absorption. Engagement is a significant driver of knowledge retention, the application of new skills & ultimately corporate performance.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- Sessions in which learners largely listen, there are limited possibilities for engagement & poll or chat usage is minimal
- Long sessions without break or hands-on practice using breakout rooms
- Learners experience boredom & distraction — drop-off rates are high i.e. people leave the session, turn off the video and do not engage
- Reports suggest that participants are less satisfied with how sessions are presented rather than with the content that is presented in the sessions
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Use interactive approaches such as live polling, quizzes, breakout rooms, Q&A sessions, hands-on practice & role plays
- Incorporate hands-on activities that allow learners to practice new skills during the session rather than later
- Use a variety of learning modalities, such as graphics, group work, storytelling & case studies
- Break down the content into smaller chunks i.e. microlearning, mini-sessions & bite-sized modules
- For virtual & continuous learning, combine synchronous (live) and asynchronous content — offer time for reflection and schedule interaction in every 10-15 minutes
- Use tools & platform capabilities like video, feedback, peer collaboration & polling
3. One-Size-Fits-All Learning, Lack of Personalization
Not every learner is the same as everyone has different jobs, skill levels, learning styles & prior knowledge/experience. When training information is generic & not personalized, many learners consider it irrelevant and they do not engage in the sessions.
As a result, the knowledge retention of the employee suffers & the effect is restricted. Personalized learning & learning paths let learners feel that the program is tailored to them & it also increases motivation, relevance and ultimately efficacy of the learners.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- Regardless of their role, all employees, from junior to senior, participate in the same session or subject
- Learners say that “this is too easy” or “this is too basic” or “this has nothing to do with my daily work”
- Employee feedback reveals that they prefer more relevant or advanced content
- Some teams or departments benefit more than others, while others receive nothing — the results vary by team
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Before training, conduct a skills gap analysis for each role or team to determine what abilities they have, what they need & where development is required
- Provide role-based tracks or parallel menus of information, allowing learners to choose a path that matches best to their job, career ambitions or desired new abilities
- Use pre-assessments to determine prior knowledge & level of the learners
- Provide modular content in which learners can select modules that are relevant to them
- For virtual or hybrid delivery, leverage breakout tracks, self-paced content, optional deep dives & “just-in-time” resources for unique needs
4. Lack of Reinforcement & Manager or Leader Involvement
Even when training is outstanding & the content is relevant, learning frequently fails to convert into behavior change due to the absence of reinforcement, follow-up & manager engagement. Managers play an important role in assisting learners in applying their knowledge in their daily lives by providing feedback, coaching & assistance. Without manager buy-in, skills deteriorate, new behaviors do not stick & improvement is not reflected in performance of the employees.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- After training, learners revert to previous patterns, with little discernible change in how teams operate
- Managers do not mention training & they do not enforce or promote new habits
- There is no system for post-training check-ins, mentoring or coaching
- Learners feel isolated or remark things like, “I wasn’t sure how to apply this back at work” or “no one asked me after I attended”
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Before training, involve managers by briefing them on the objectives & asking them to support learner behavior change
- Post-session reinforcement like follow-up sessions, assignments, coaching & peer groups should be provided to the learners
- Use micro-assignments or action plans in which learners commit to doing something specific following the session, while the manager monitors them
- Use manager check-ins for 30, 60 or 90 day assessments or reflections
- Schedule manager-only segments, provide breakout rooms for managers to discuss how to apply lessons & create templates or guides for managers to utilize as coaches
5. Poor Measurement, Evaluation & Impact Tracking
What you don’t measure, you can’t improve. If training programs rely solely on satisfaction surveys, quiz scores or the amount of employee training hours, but do not link to performance indicators, knowledge retention or business goals, you cannot determine whether the training is effective or not. Poor measurement leads to lost resources, an inability to optimize programs & a lack of trust for L&D inside the organization.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- Metrics are limited to “Did attendees like it?” rather than asking, “Did they learn new skills?” or “Did business metrics improve?”
- There was no baseline data prior to training, nor were there any post-training follow-ups or assessments
- There is no tracking of long-term retention or behavioral changes
- There is no data on drop-off, attendance vs completion or application on the job
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Define explicit objectives ahead of time like reduce errors by X%, boost revenues by Y% & increase process speed by Z%
- Use Kirkpatrick’s evaluation approach i.e. reaction, learning, behavior & results or newer impact-quantification models
- Include assessments such as pre-tests & post-tests, quizzes, assignments and on-the-job evaluations
- Capture operational/business data such as error rates, speed, quality & client feedback and compare before & after training changes
- Set up analytics for virtual / LMS or event platforms including tracking attendance, engagement, poll replies, material consumption, follow-up surveys, built-in reminders & learner progress dashboards
6. Training / Learning Experience Not Integrated with Day-to-Day Flow of Work
If learning is viewed as separate from work, as something you do outside, many employees will fail to apply what they learn. Additionally, content may appear unconnected or unrealistic to them. Learning in the workplace i.e. on-demand, embedded, small & instantly applicable, increases retention, relevance and impact.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- Learners skip training due to a hectic schedule or a lack of time
- The content appears theoretical, not practical or relevant to daily tasks
- After training, employees say, “I wish this had more examples from my work” or “I don’t have time to go through all of this content”
- There are no resources, job aids, follow-ups or reference materials to assist with applied learning
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Make microlearning courses available via everyday tools like intranet, mobile apps etc
- Provide job aids, checklists, instructions, templates & recordings for use following sessions
- Use real-world examples, case studies & simulations of genuine tasks in your training
- Allow for asynchronous learning so that staff can complete parts as and when time allows them to
- For virtual events, provide on-demand access to recordings, breakout areas with practical applications & follow-up workshops in which learners bring real-world work challenges
7. Technology & Logistics Failures
Even the strongest content, strategy & alignment will suffer if technology fails, logistics are inefficient or platform limits interfere. Learners become discouraged or disengaged when virtual platforms are difficult to use, have inadequate connectivity, lack interactive features, poor moderation or provide a confused user experience. Furthermore, inadequate planning or logistics like timing, scheduling & materials, diminish efficacy.
Now let’s understand how to spot this issue-
- Technical concerns during sessions include audio/video slowness, connectivity issues & login problems
- Learners complain about the platform’s difficulty in navigating or its lack of interaction
- The session schedule does not take into account time zones or job priorities
- Materials are confusing & ambiguous, with an excessive amount of substance and little structure
- When something fails due to poor moderation or a lack of backup
Now let’s understand what can we do to overcome this problem-
- Plan logistical elements carefully including timing, timezone, schedule, reminders & orientation
- Choose a platform / solution that provides features like breakout rooms, chat, polls, whiteboards, recording & analytics
- Run rehearsals/dry runs to evaluate audio/video, presenters & moderator support
- Provide explicit instructions & user guidance prior to the session
- Prepare backup plans for technical failures like alternate link or offline resources
- For continuous learning & virtual training, ensure that the platform is mobile-friendly, accessible, supports a variety of device kinds & has steady connectivity
How a Virtual Events Platform Like Airmeet Can Help
Since many training, L&D programs are now virtual or hybrid, selecting the correct platform or solution is critical. A platform that allows interactivity, analytics, breakout rooms, dependable streaming, recording, engaging user interface & so forth can significantly minimize friction.
Here’s how a virtual events platform can help tackle many of the issues-
- Virtual event platforms like Airmeet have features like breakout tables, polls, discussion, quizzes, role-play rooms & live interactions. These features help to break up the monotony.
- Virtual platforms allows for scalable learning paths, including tracks, menus, sessions for various roles & self-paced content
- These platforms also have analytics & statistics available to track attendance, drop-offs, engagement & content usage, as well as to help quantify learning impact
- It also allows for virtual events or hybrid sessions with logistical support like scheduling, time zones, recordings & participant technical help
- Virtual platforms enable reinforcement through recordings, on-demand content, follow-ups & quick access to resources
If your organization employs a platform that lacks these essential features, or if learners’ experiences are unsatisfactory like login troubles, minimal interaction, restricted analytics, many of the challenges listed above will persist.
Conclusion
L&D are significant drivers of employee growth, corporate growth & organizational success. However, many times training sessions are designed without adequate consideration for alignment, engagement, personalization, reinforcement, measurement, practical application or technology. When any of these challenges is not addressed, the session’s efficacy declines & the return on investment in training, continuous learning or development is significantly lower than it could be.
If you follow even a couple of the procedures outlined above i.e. identify clear business objectives, rethink one session with interactivity, involve management & assess outcomes, you will see a difference i.e. the learners are more engaged, knowledge is retained, behavior changes & performance improves. Over time, these changes add up to have a major influence on business.
FAQs
You can measure the success of L&D sessions through the following-
- Employee feedback
- Performance improvements
- Retention rates
- Alignment with business objectives
For this, organizations should leverage data from LMS platforms to track skill applications at work & calculate ROI. Case studies, questionnaires & operational data will also help you in providing information about whether training sessions met their intended development objectives or not.
Training programs that are linked to corporate objectives assist employees to comprehend the concrete benefits of learning. When training objectives are aligned with business strategy, businesses see greater performance, faster skill adoption & measurable ROI. Misaligned sessions squander resources, confuse learners & do not promote business growth or employee development.
By customizing the information to each employee’s unique needs, positions & career objectives, personalized learning paths enhance employee training. Learners receive training that is specific to their current skill set and future development plan rather than generic courses. By addressing individual skill & aligning with employee growth prospects, this approach boosts motivation, guarantees practical application & enhances overall company’s performance.